What Is Fluvoxamine? OCD Drug Could Be Used to Treat COVID

What Is Fluvoxamine? OCD Drug Could Be Used to Treat COVID

An anti-depressant medication used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) may also be effective at treating some COVID cases, scientists say.The drug fluvoxamine, commonly sold under the brand name Luvox, has emerged as a candidate for early treatment of the disease, with studies suggesting it could prevent some people's symptoms progressing to the point of needing hospitalization.Fluvoxamine is a type of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) which alters how chemicals used by nerves in the human brain communicate.

These chemicals, known as neurotransmitters, are released by the body's nerves before attaching to other nerves. Experts believe an imbalance of neurotransmitters can cause psychiatric disorders such as depression.Fluvoxamine was approved for treatment of OCD by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1994, but has also been used to treat patients suffering from social anxiety, post-traumatic stress, binge eating disorders and pathological gambling.A 2005 analysis published in the journal Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment said it is "well tolerated," with the most frequently-reported side effect being nausea. It had no significant impact on body weight or cardiovascular performance, the study said.Most recently, scientists have theorized the drug could also be useful for treating people with COVID who are at risk of suffering from severe